[Excerpt] When the Congress returns from the Thanksgiving break the House is expected to vote on three  regulatory reform\u27* bills - H.R. 10, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (the REINS Act). H.R. 3010, the Regulatory Accountability Act and H.R. 527, the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act. Each of these bills would up-end the entire regulatory system making it impossible for the government to protect workers and the public from workplace hazards, dirty air and water, unsafe drugs, tainted food and Wall Street abuses. The AFL-CIO strongly urges you to oppose each of these bills

Samuel, William

English

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Labor Unions Key Workplace Documents 
11-28-2011 
Legislative Alert: The Regulations from the Executive in Need of 
Scrutiny (the REINS Act), the Regulatory Accountability Act and 
the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act (H.R.10) (H.R.3010) 
(H.R. 527) 
William Samuel 
AFL-CIO 
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Legislative Alert: The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (the 
REINS Act), the Regulatory Accountability Act and the Regulatory Flexibility 
Improvements Act (H.R.10) (H.R.3010) (H.R. 527) 
Abstract 
[Excerpt] When the Congress returns from the Thanksgiving break the House is expected to vote on three 
"regulatory reform'* bills - H.R. 10, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (the REINS Act). 
H.R. 3010, the Regulatory Accountability Act and H.R. 527, the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act. 
Each of these bills would up-end the entire regulatory system making it impossible for the government to 
protect workers and the public from workplace hazards, dirty air and water, unsafe drugs, tainted food and 
Wall Street abuses. The AFL-CIO strongly urges you to oppose each of these bills. 
Keywords 
AFL-CIO, Legislative Alert, The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (the REINS Act), the 
Regulatory Accountability Act and the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act, H.R.10, H.R.3010, H.R. 527 
Comments 
Suggested Citation 
Samuel, W. (2011, November 28). Legislative Alert: The Regulations from the Executive in Need of 
Scrutiny (the REINS Act), the Regulatory Accountability Act and the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements 
Act (H.R.10) (H.R.3010) (H.R. 527). Washington, DC: AFL-CIO. 
Required Publisher Statement 
Copyright by the AFL-CIO. Document posted with special permission by the copyright holder. 
This article is available at DigitalCommons@ILR: https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/laborunions/88 
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOI AM_> » t INGRESS O? l \ l ) l >SIR1AL ORGANIZATIONS 
8 1 5 S I X T E E N T H S T R E E T , N.W. RICHARD L. TRUMKA 
W A S H I N G T O N , D . C . 2 0 0 0 6 PRESIDENT 
ELIZABETH H, SHULER 
— mmm *-. mm *mm m. _ « — _ _ - , _ . — — _ _ _ _ „ SECRETARY-TREASURER 
(202) 637-SOS7 
ARLENE HOLT BAKER 
EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT 
November 28, 201 
Dear Representative: 
When the Congress returns from the Thanksgiving break the House is expected to vote on 
three "regulatory reform'* bills - H.R. 10, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny 
(the REINS Act). H.R. 3010, the Regulatory Accountability Act and H.R. 527, the Regulatory 
Flexibility Improvements Act. Each of these bills would up-end the entire regulatory system 
making it impossible for the government to protect workers and the public from workplace 
hazards, dirty air and water, unsafe drugs, tainted food and Wall Street abuses. The AFL-CIO 
strongly urges you to oppose each of these bills. 
The Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA) - H.R. 3010 - is a particularly harmful 
measure. It amends the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), but it goes far beyond establishing 
procedures for rulemaking. The RAA acts as a "supermandate*" overriding the requirements of 
landmark legislation such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act and Mine Safety and Health 
Act. The bill would require agencies to adopt the least costly rule, instead of the most protective 
rule as is now required by the OSH Act and MSH Act. It would make protecting workers and the 
public secondary to limiting costs and impacts on businesses and corporations. 
The RAA will not improve the regulatory process; it will cripple it. The bill adds dozens 
of new analytical, procedural, and judicial review requirements to the rulemaking process, which 
will add years to the process. The development of major workplace safety rules already takes 6 -
10 years; the RAA will further delay these rules and cost workers their lives. 
The RAA substitutes formal rulemaking for the current procedures for public 
participation for high impact rules and for other major rules upon request. These formal 
rulemaking procedures will make it more difficult for workers and members of the public to 
participate, and give greater access and influence to business groups that have the resources to 
hire lawyers and lobbyists to participate in this complex process. For agencies that already 
provide for public hearings, such as OSHA and MSHA, the bill would substitute formal 
rulemaking for the development of all new rales, overriding the effective public participation 
processes conducted by these agencies. 
H.R. 3010 would subject all agencies - including independent agencies like the Securities 
and Exchange Commission, the National r ibor Relations Board (NLRB), Consumer Product 
Safety Commission (CPSC). and the C jnsumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to these 
new analytical and procedural requirements. It would be much more difficult for agencies to 
develop and issue new financial reform rules and consumer protection rules required under 
recently enacted legislation. 
The REINS Act (H.R. 10) would radically alter the regulatory process by requiring 
Congress to vote to approve all major rales before they can go into effect. Rules not 
affirmatively acted on by both the House and the Senate within 70 legislative days would die. 
Under the REINS Act, politics, not scientific judgment or expertise would dictate all regulatory 
actions. Corporate opposition and influence would swamp the public's interest and block needed 
protections. 
H.R. 10 is impractical, unworkable'and unnecessary. Congress has neither the time nor 
expertise to consider and act on detailed, technical and scientific issues. Moreover, Congress 
already has the authority to disapprove rules through the Congressional Review Act or block 
their implementation by withholding funding. 
H.R. 527, the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act, expands the reach and scope of 
the Regulatory Flexibility Act by covering regulations that may have an indirect effect on small 
businesses and adding a host of new analytical requirements that will make it even more difficult 
for agencies to take action to protect workers and the public, Virtually any action an agency-
proposes - even a guidance document designed to help a business comply with a rule - could be 
subject to a lengthy regulatory process. While the bill purports to be focused on small business, it 
would cover more than 99% of all employers, including firms in some industries with up to 
1,500 workers or $35.5 million in annual revenues. 
This bill also creates a small business "czar" by increasing the powers of the Chief 
Counsel of Small Business Advocacy. This individual would become a super-regulator, with new 
powers to review proposed regulations and suggest alternatives. Agencies would be subject to 
review by both the Office of Management and Budget and the Chief Counsel, adding to 
regulatory delay. 
H.R. 3010, H.R. 10 and H.R. 527 would further tilt the regulatory process in favor of 
business groups and others who want to stop regulations, and make it much more difficult for the 
government to protect workers and the public. These are dangerous proposals that will not create 
one new job or solve any of the pressing problems facing our country. 
The AFL-CIO strongly opposes H.R. 3010, H.R. 10 and H.R. 527 and urges you to vote 
against all three bills. 
S u a t i c U . 
William Samuel, Director 
Government Affairs Department 


Legislative Alert: The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (the REINS Act), the Regulatory Accountability Act and the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act (H.R.10) (H.R.3010) (H.R. 527)

[Excerpt] When the Congress returns from the Thanksgiving break the House is expected to vote on three "regulatory reform'* bills - H.R. 10, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (the REINS Act). H.R. 3010, the Regulatory Accountability Act and H.R. 527, the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act. Each of these bills would up-end the entire regulatory system making it impossible for the government to protect workers and the public from workplace hazards, dirty air and water, unsafe drugs, tainted food and Wall Street abuses. The AFL-CIO strongly urges you to oppose each of these bills.Legislative_Alert_REINS_ActOCR.pdf: 13 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

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Legislative Alert: The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (the REINS Act), the Regulatory Accountability Act and the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act (H.R.10) (H.R.3010) (H.R. 527)

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